Dear Prakash Padukone Sir,
I write to you as a concerned co-Malleswarite.
My only qualification to address you publicly is that I have had the pleasure of being in CTR on Saturday mornings long years ago when an All-England champion brought his doe-eyed daughters to delve into its benne masala dosas in the privacy of its booths.
I write to you on a day when the Indian XI lost to an Australian XIV—don’t forget to count the two on-field umpires and the TV umpire—despite the admirable heroics of our co-townsman from Jayanagar.
And I write to you on a day when Deepika was seen in the balcony of the Sydney Cricket Ground, a day after her 22nd birthday.
Looking at the hurry with which one of our star batsmen got in and got out, without tickling the scorers, I got the very firm feeling that he was desperately trying to prove the old story about Sharmila Tagore calling the Cricket Club of India and being told that Tiger Pataudi was out batting, “but don’t hang up, madam, he will be back soon,” if you get what I mean.
Of course, Deepika is an adult. It’s her life. She is free to go where she likes, be seen where she wants, and to make her personal and professional choices. But, Prakash Sir, don’t you think it is happening all too fast, all too openly for the daughter of “India’s greatest living sportsman” (as Sunil Gavaskar correctly called you on air today)?
Too much hype over the film, too many rumours, too many distractions.
One-day captain one day, one-day vice-captain the next. So much so the two gentlemen have apparently forgotten where the real match is.
Of course, it’s all very well if it’s just a publicity stunt, but I’m sure you know better.
Maybe, it is none of my/our business, maybe the gossip is the work of idle journalistic minds. But as a champion who has tasted success, fame and stardom, and as a gentleman who has handled his success, fame and success with grace, dignity and balance, do you think Deepika has got it right?
Shouldn’t she concentrate on her career, her IGNOU course, and leave matrimony and the Indian team alone. I mean, we still have two Test matches to go, and 2-0 could well become 4-0 at this rate.
Yours sincerely
RAMYA KRISHNAMURTHY
postscript: I too was brought up on the same benne masala dosas, but they didn’t quite have the same result.
ಹ ಹ್ಹ ಹ್ಹಾ…! good one :D
* Saraswat *s eat many things other than benne masale ;-)
Ramya, For a minute I thought this was a satire ; you seem to be serious ? I’m sure Mr.Padukone would do better than to chime in how he feels on the issue. Like you rightly said, ‘Deepika is an adult’, and her personal choices, good/bad are hers’ to explore and assess.
Thanks for the nostalgia on Malleswaram though. As a former Malleswarite, I can vouch that CTR & Veena stores were to die for — have not been there in a couple of years — hope they are still good …
I only wish Deepika has one child with Dhoni and another with Yuvaraj, both out of wedlock!!!! Malleswaram will not be same again
Malleswaram nostalgia would have been a worthwhile read… refrain from matronly advice please
Terrific one from Ramya. Congrats. If you had said it in person and not written it, I can quite imagine the poker face with which it would have been said. Super.
But, pls everyone. It is not MalleSWARAM. But it is MallesHwara with an H and without an M that is the proper way to write and pronounce.
It is being very unfair to CTR’s benne masala !! Just because some Jat does not score, you cannot blame Deepika either. Even Jaffer and Dhoni have failed repeatedly on this tour.
This is one of the worst posts on this blog despite raking up some mallesHwaram memories. You keep saying she is an adult/its her life/choices are hers etc etc yet you repeatedly bring up the same and question her motives and intentions. You could have just as well done away with all those disclaimers and launched into interrogations mode.
I have no love whatsoever for deepika and till I read your post, I knew nothing of her relationships with Dhoni and Yuvraj but what irks me is that you question her motives, intentions and actions but let those of the players involved off the hook. You barely mention them in passing and have given them a free pass. How fair is that? If at all anyone’s actions are upto questioning its that of the player on the field. Ultimately, they are responsible for their actions on the field.
***
what is galling is that you write to Prakash Padukone and ask him to make sure that he puts his daughter on a path that seems amenable to you. What gives you the right to ask him to counsel his dauughter on concentrating on her career? and you do all this in the same breath that you use to refer to principles of a free society/free speech etc etc. This is just a hack job, plain and simple.
My very first COMMENT for any article on this site! Yay!
What the hell is wrong with the writer? We Indians are obsessed with other people’s lives….. You call her an adult and then blame her for a certain Jat’s failure to deliver down under…It is her “fundamental” human right to choose who she dates and none of the writer’s business. Her father can counsel her to a certain degree but at the end of the day – “ITS HER LIFE!”!!
What does the americanijjed “malleSWaram” CTR benne dosas have to do with Deepika Padukone and the Jat??? I didnt know that the CTR benne dosas define your character! Maybe I should try them out and see what effect it has on mine…..
This post is by far one of the worst pieces I have read on this website in the last 1 year… Even though I never comment, this one made my jaw drop as I read it…. GROW UP PEOPLE – STOP GIVING BITTI ADVICE TO OTHERS!
The author sounds like a benne-dosa-eating overwieght girl who never had a chance to date charming men and is now jealous of one of her neighbours. Your “OPEN LETTER” would be laughed at by the Padukones when they read it.
Sorry, if I have been too aggressive in my debut post but I couldnt help my thoughts flowing from my head to the computer screen.
Amara
Ramya K should shut up!
For once I actually agree with DB!
Me too!
RK should have avoided tickling the readers of Churumuri. She could leave the Indian team and Deepika alone ;)
Ramya K,
Sour grapes? The green eyed monster of jealousy? Want to get a piece of dhoni and yuvraj?
What was the point of your rant?
Maybe Ramya should be writing to Yuvraj’s parents???? DB is right…
I thought CTR Benne Dose and Hurugadale Chatni mostly inspired people to take a green card and move to the US. I suspect it is fried Mackarel from the Arabian sea in action here.
Good one, Ramya.
anon guy:What was the point of your rant?
The point of the rant is to ensure that aholes in the indian cricket team (read as Yuvraj and Doni) do not confuse the concept of a “match”.
Good one Ramya. I hope Mr Padukone was/is concerned as much as you.
SumneNeeve,
I was asking Ramya a question. I didnt know your name was Ramya. Your clarification is as moronic as her article.
Deepika can do what she wants. She has our full support!
This piece sounds like an MCP’s rant! Instead of picking on the useless cricketing studs, why do you bitch on that gal.
I read this without taking it seriously. I think it was meant to be ‘funny’ and it is. I did not get the impression that this was a ‘Serious’ letter to the Padukones. Liked it.
This is gossip masquerading as concern. When will we learn to leave others alone? Don’t enough women commit suicide as a result of being the victims of vicious rumours? This is not sihi or khara; it is bitter poison.
ramya, i lol-ed real loud after that beNNe comment. keep writing.
she had the platform to be anything. she could have been a soundarya, a taara, a smita patil or even a madhuri. she could have had anybody, she choose the family of eugenics-walas. well…
ee wimmen’s lib-e artha aagalla. abakka aagthaare akonDre abbabba anno haage maaDidre henge. (public life-amma, nee aDidde aaTa alla. naavu annodoo paaTha, maribeDa. kaasu koTTu pilim noDtivi)
nann keLidre, ee womma aa yuvarajanna chennagi upagiskonDu, konege tata-bye-bye antha kai biTTu tannade aada hesaru, hirime maaDkonDre saari.
kannaDdalli pasT pilim e upendra, hindi-li sha-ruk andre tamaashi-na? innu yon yen-no maadbodu. innu saNN moga aagle basuri baaNanti anta maay tumbkonDre henge?
hogi desha gellodalve?